Chittenden Co. State's Attorney admits other crimes took priority

Nearly 10 years and potentially dozens of victims allegedly forced into sexual slavery at Harmony Spa in Williston.

The spa remains closed after allegations of human trafficking and prostitution surfaced in June.

Investigators say women were victimized for years, forced to live at the spa, work seven days a week and perform sexual acts on its clients.

Law enforcement knew about the women and knew what they were being forced to do; even still, it was allowed to happen for nine years.

“When you look at this case you really have to look back at history and see really failed approaches,” Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan said.

Donovan admits other crimes took priority over the allegations of human trafficking and forced prostitution at Harmony Spa.

“I've been aware of this issue in this specific location going back to 2004, when there was police raids,” Williston Police Detective Bart Chamberlain said.

Chamberlain was there when authorities raided Ginza Spa in 2004, shutting down the massage parlor that authorities alleged doubled as a brothel.

“At least one of the women told us that she had come to this country. She had to pay off a debt in exchange for being brought here and this is what she had to do in order to pay off a debt to some unknown third party,” Chamberlain said.

Within that same week, a new spa opened in the same location with the same landlord under new management and with a new name, Harmony.

It would be nine years before authorities charged the landlord for allegedly knowing about the prostitution going on inside.

“It has been difficult. There's no question. It'd be like any other criminal enterprise taking place here and being aware of it and unable to take action. As a police officer, that's a frustrating circumstance to be in for sure,” Chamberlain said.

And while law enforcement waited, the women continued to come through Vermont.

Detective Chamberlain believes two women were brought in and out every few weeks to couple months.

In the end, anywhere from 70 women to more than 300 allegedly were enslaved and forced into prostitution behind closed doors.

When asked if it should have been a bigger priority, Donovan had this to say: “You know, I don't know. I think when you look at this you say, when you're trying to set up priorities in a system that is overwhelmed, that is under-resourced, and you're dealing with, whether it's burglaries, robberies and drug issues, your focus tends to go there because it's front and center.”

Donovan explains it was difficult to compile probable cause because the women wouldn't admit they were victims. Still no charges against the johns or the managers were ever brought, leaving victims' advocates pushing for better protection for everyone in our communities in the future.

“I think there have been a lot of missed opportunities for us where we could have made a difference in the lives of these women, and much sooner than what we did,” Hope Works Executive Director Cathleen Wilson said.

“We didn't really know what to do and we all bear, I bear, responsibility for that and we're trying a new approach and we'll see if it works. We're hopeful it will,” Donovan said.

The solution Donovan is working on is not necessarily with law enforcement.

He says the way to combat these massage parlors lies in town ordinances authorizing health inspections and also state licensing for those who work at massage parlors.

He says he's been working with Secretary of State Jim Condos on that issue.

In 2010, Vermont created a human-trafficking task force composed of victims' advocates, law enforcement and representatives from multiple state agencies.

A year and half after their first meeting, the task force is still working on creating a protocol for these types of situations.

And when Newschannel 5 called the task force director two weeks after the Harmony Spa bust, she had no knowledge of the allegations.

Copyright 2013 by WPTZ.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

POTENTIALLY DOZENS OF VICTIMS FORCED INTO SEXUAL SLAVERY. GOOD EVENING, I'M GEORGE MALLET. STEPH IS OFF TONIGHT. HARMONY SPA IN WILLISTON REMAINS CLOSED TONIGHT AFTER ALLEGATIONS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND PROSTITUTION SURFACED IN JUNE. NEWSCHANNEL FIVE'S BRIDGET SHANAHAN HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THIS CASE AND WHY IT TOOK ALMOST A DECADE TO BRING CHARGES. SHE JOINS US NOW LIVE FROM WILLISTON WITH THIS FOCUS FIVE INVESTIGATION, BRIDGET? THAT'S RIGHT GEORGE. THIS IS WHERE INVESTIGATORS SAY WOMEN WERE VICTIMIZED FOR YEARS. FORCED TO LIVE AT THE SPA, WORK SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND PERFORM SEXUAL ACTS ON IT'S CLIENTS. THE THING IS LAW ENFORCEMENT KNEW ABOUT THE WOMEN AND KNEW WHAT THEY WERE BEING FORCED TO DO. SO THE QUESTION TONIGHT, WHY WAS IT ALLOWED TO GO ON? AND WHY DID IT TAKE 9 YEARS TO BRING CHARGES? 1.37.40 :04TJ DONOVAN/CHITTE NDEN CO. STATE'S ATT. when you look this case you really have to look back at history and see really failed approaches. CHITTENDEN COUNTY'S TOP PROSECUTOR TJ DONOVAN ADMITS OTHER CRIMES TOOK PRIORITY OVER THE ALLEGATIONS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND FORCED PROSTITUTION AT HARMONY SPA. 1.37.28 :04 CHAMBERLAIN I've been aware of this issue in this specfic location going back to 2004 when there was police raids. WILLISTON POLICE DETECTIVE BART CHAMBERLAIN WAS THERE WHEN AUTHORITIES RAIDED GINZA SPA IN 2004, SHUTTING DOWN THE MASSAGE PARLOR THAT AUTHORITIES ALLEGED DOUBLED AS A BROTHEL. 2.15.35 CHAMBERLAIN at least one of the women told us that she had come to this country. She had to pay off a debt in exchange for being brought here and this what she had to do in order to pay off a debt to some unknown third party. WITHIN THAT SAME WEEK ...A NEW SPA OPENED IN THE SAME LOCATION... WITH THE SAME LANDLORD, NEW MANAGEMENT AND A NEW NAME...HARMONY. HERE'S DETECTIVE CHAMBERLAIN IN 2006: PLEASE PUT BITE HERE DESPITE THAT KNOWLEDGE THEN...IT WOULD BE SEVEN YEARS BEFORE AUTHORITIES CHARGED THE LANDLORD FOR ALLEGEDLY KNOWING ABOUT THE PROSTITUTION GOING ON INSIDE. 2.17.39 :11 CHAMBERLAIN It has been difficult. There's no question. It'd be like any other criminal enterprise taking place here and being aware of it and unable to take action. As a police officer that's a frustrating circumstance to be in for sure. AND WHILE LAW ENFORCEMENT WAITED, THE WOMEN CONTINUED TO COME THROUGH VERMONT. DETECTIVE CHAMBERLAIN BELIEVES TWO WOMEN WERE BROUGHT IN AND OUT EVERY FEW WEEKS TO COUPLE MONTHS. IN THE END, WE'RE TALKING ANYWHERE FROM SEVENTY WOMEN TO MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED... ALLEGEDLY ENSLAVED AND FORCED INTO PROSTITUTION BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. 1.45.48 :27 Bridget: Do you think this should've been a bigger priority? It seems like everyone in town knew this was going on. TJ: You know, I don't know. I think when you look at this you say, when you're trying to set up priorities in a system that is overwhelmed that is underresourced and you're dealing with whether it's burglaries robberies and drug issues. You're focus tends to go there because it's front and center. DONOVAN EXPLAINS IT WAS DIFFICULT TO COMPILE PROBABLE CAUSE BECAUSE THE WOMEN WOULDN'T ADMIT THEY WERE VICTIMS...STILL NO CHARGES AGAINST THE JOHNS OR THE MANAGERS WERE EVER BROUGHT. LEAVING VICTIM'S ADVOCATES PUSHING FOR BETTER, HOPING BETTER PROTECTION FOR EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITIES IN THE FUTURE. 10.49 CATHLEEN WILSON/HOPE WORKS I think there have been a lot of missed opportunities for us where we could have made a difference in the lives of these women and much sooner than what we did. 1.43.18 :11 TJ DONOVAN And we didn't really know what to do and we all bear, I bear responsibility for that and we're trying a new approach and we'll see if it works. We're hopeful it will. THE SOLUTION DONOVAN IS WORKING ON IS NOT NECESSARILY WITH LAWENFORCEME NT. HE SAYS THE WAY TO COMBAT THESE MASSAGE PARLORS LIES IN TOWN ORDINANCES AUTHORIZING HEALTH INSPECTIONS AND ALSO STATE LICENSING FOR THOSE WHO WORK AT MASSAGE PARLORS. HE SAYS HE'S BEEN WORKING WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JIM CONDOS ON THAT ISSUE. LIVE IN WILLISTON, BRIDGET SHANAHAN NC FIVE, GEORGE? BRIDGET, WHAT ABOUT VERMONT'S HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE, COULD THEY HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO HELP? IN 2010, VERMONT CREATED A HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE COMPOSED OF VICTIM'S ADVOCATES, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND REPRESENTATIVE S FROM MULTIPLE STATE AGENCIES. A YEAR AND HALF AFTER THEIR FIRST MEETING, THE TASK FORCE IS STILL WORKING ON CREATING A PROTOCOL FOR THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS. AND WHEN I CALLED THE TASK FORCE DIRECTOR TWO WEEKS AFTER THE HARMONY SPA BUST...SHE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. LIVE TONIGHT IN WILLISTON, BRIDGET SHANAHAN NC FIVE. REMEMBER - IF